


Co-Commanders

by JediofMandalore



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Mando'a Language (Star Wars), References to Star Wars Legends, Slight Canon Divergence, Smoking, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) Spoilers, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 14:02:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29403096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JediofMandalore/pseuds/JediofMandalore
Summary: Ka'ra Rook is a Jedi Knight and daughter of two Cuy'val Dar Mandalorians. She never really felt like she belonged in the Jedi Order until the Clone Wars, where she finds purpose in her service, and love in the form of Commander Wolffe.
Relationships: CC-3636 | Wolffe/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 4





	1. Prologue

To say Ka'ra Rook’s life had a rough start would be a bit of an understatement. Born on Mandalore in 42 BBY during the Civil War, her parents’ absence was noted from infancy. Since her mother Vhonte Tervho and father Kad Rook fought on the side of the traditional Mandalorians, Ka'ra’s childcare fell to her grandmother Shae. When the war became violent enough to attract the attention of the Jedi Order the issue of raising Ka'ra had complicated further. Master Qui-Gon Jinn must have somehow sensed Ka'ra’s presence through the Force, because she was abducted to Coruscant shortly after the war. In recurring Force visions at night, Ka'ra could still hear her mother’s screams of protestation when Qui-Gon picked up Ka'ra from the cradle as Kad did his best to restrain her. If Ka'ra concentrated, she could see Vhonte dressed in red Mandalorian gear with her red braids hanging below her helmet and over her navy blue cloak. Her father was dressed in silver and purple beskar. Kad never said a word during the entire event, and instead silently used all his strength to hold Vhonte back. Ka'ra saw in the nightmares her grandmother hand a rucksack containing pure beskar’gam to Obi-Wan as Qui-Gon cradled Ka'ra in a dark gray cloak that served as a swaddle. Through tears, Shae begged, “Promise me, Obi-Wan! Promise me, she’ll be allowed my armor. At least let her be protected!” The visions would repeat the scene over and over until Ka'ra would eventually wake in a cold sweat with her mother’s screams echoing in her mind. 

Growing up as a Mandalorian in the Jedi Temple wasn’t without significant hardships either. Friends were hard to come by for Ka'ra, as she grew up hearing gossip from fellow initiates and masters alike. More days than not Ka'ra suffered comparisons to the great Tarre Vizsla, the only other Mandalorian inducted into the Jedi Order. Some feared Ka'ra would grow up to be just as powerful, and others pointed to Ka'ra’s record of being at best an average student and saw her as a dissapointment. Both versions of the gossip only succeeded in making Ka'ra doubt herself, and her struggles with self-confidence persists to this day. At least in the medical centers she felt useful. Since subjects like engineering and piloting didn’t come naturally to her, she put more effort into learning medicine. Despite her own self-doubt, Ka'ra succeeded in the Padawan and subsequent Jedi Knight Trials under the apprenticeship of Master Plo Koon. 

She had been assigned to Master Plo ever since Guattako the Grim’s attack. He and his child army had slaughtered twenty-six Jedi Knights and captured their Padawans, to include Ka’ra, and took them to his base on Oosalon. Master Mace Windu was in charge of the rescue, but he was captured and brought to Guattako by Quia and Kyozo Kyossk with Master Mace’s lightsaber shattered. While Guattako and his sidekicks argued over the ethics of broadcasting a Jedi Master’s execution across the galaxy, Windu took advantage of the chaos to send Force signals to others in the Jedi Order and used the Force to reconstruct his lightsaber. Mace Windu quickly disarmed and defeated the men in the army, but Guattako struck the Jedi Master unconscious with the blunt end of his glaive. Guattako had then raised the glaive to kill the prone Jedi, when Ka’ra quickly grabbed the blaster of a disarmed soldier and shot the Warlord dead. Before Guattako the Grim’s body fell to ground, Masters Plo Koon, Depa Billaba and Qui-Gon Jinn had arrived. Seeing the death of their leader, the army scattered into the rocky mountains of Oosalon as Master Plo woke Mace Windu. 

“Nice of you all to join the party,” Master Windu said dryly.  
Master Plo replied, “We would have been here sooner, but do you have any idea how many tunnels-”

“About 80,000 kilometers worth… I”ve heard.” 

Later at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, after mourning the loss of her previous master, Gavyn Thorne, Master Plo informed Ka’ra that he was impressed with her quick thinking and improvisation while under stress. He noted that if it wasn’t for her actions, they would be attending the funeral of Master Windu as well. Master Plo then concluded that for those reasons he’s had the Jedi Council assign Ka’ra as his new Padawan. 

Once promoted to Jedi Knight, Obi-Wan finally made good on the promise he made to Shae Rook two decades earlier, and convinced the Jedi Council to allow Ka'ra to wear the Mandalorian armor. After all, it was only fair, Master Kenobi had argued, other Jedi got to personalize with culturally significant clothing, jewelry or tattoos. It had to be slightly adjusted to fit her exact measurements, and she had the armor repainted to white, which symbolized a new beginning in Mandalorian culture. However she insisted upon keeping the silver coiled vexus symbol on the right side breast plate, the sigil of Clan Rook and House Kast, and kept the silver Mythosaur on the right shoulder pad. On the left side of the breast plate was the Jedi Symbol, and on the left shoulder pad was a medic symbol. Both painted in crimson. The outfit was completed with a cloak, the same dark gray one that Master Jinn had carried Ka'ra to the temple in. As a whole the armor and cloak were the last connection she had to her heritage. Another disappointment for fellow members of the Order was the construction of her lightsaber as a Padawan. Many were expecting some sort of engineering marvel as unique as the Darksaber, but as previously explained, Ka'ra didn’t have the aptitude for it. Apparently dual wielding purple lightsabers wasn’t exotic enough. 

Throughout Ka'ra’s training Master Plo was a source of constant encouragement against her internal and external doubts. He offered insightful advice to be focused on accomplishments and not the whisperings of others, and to be proud of her heritage but to let go of the past. Easier said than done of course. Whenever an opportunity presented itself, Ka'ra attempted to locate her parents, but the research has yet to yield any results. All reports conclude that both Vhonte Tervho and Kad Rook were bounty hunters that went missing in action in the year 30 BBY and are both presumed dead. As further evidence, her grandmother died in 28 BBY and neither parent was sighted at the funeral. Still, Ka'ra clings on to hope she might meet them again and look upon their faces. In the visions both parents are fully armored which left much to the imagination. She stares at herself in the mirror from time to time, and wonders if her face resembles her mother or father more, if her father has dark brown hair and the combination with her mother’s bright red is what resulted in Ka'ra’s own chestnut shade, and if one or both parents has the same deep blue eyes as her. Ka'ra's obsession with the Force vision also led her to always braid her hair to resemble her mother’s. 

Spare time to spend on the personal research project became essentially nonexistent after the Battle of Geonosis and the subsequent start of the Clone Wars. Once news reached the Council of the capture, Ka'ra, Master Koon and two hundred and ten other Jedi revealed themselves in order to thwart the execution in the Petranaki Arena. During the course of the battle, Ka'ra couldn’t help but note the twisted irony that Mace Windu, the only other purple lightsaber wielder, was the one to slay Jango Fett, the only other Mandalorian. The sight of a lightsaber connecting with Fett and his T-Visor helmet falling into the dust made Ka'ra’s stomach churn. For a moment, she questioned whether saving Master Windu all those years ago on Oosalon was the right thing. She was reminded again of the vision from her dreams, the image of her mother flashed before her accompanied by the sound of her screams. The doubts that plagued Ka'ra her whole life emerged again at the worst possible moment: in the middle of a battlefield. She had always felt like she didn’t belong in this galaxy; that she and Tarre Vizsla were paradoxes that the fates of the Force should’ve never allowed into existence. Her mind refocused when a blaster shot made contact with her abdomen. The beskar prevented the blast from penetrating her flesh, but the force of it still hurt like hell. Ka'ra was certain she’d find a nasty bruise the next day. She pushed her feelings of insecurity down and rushed forward into the swarm of droids before her that threatened to descend upon a wounded Jedi. She used the Force to pull them in her direction then efficiently cut them down with the dual sabers. 

“It’s going to be okay, I’m a medic,” Ka'ra said to the Kiffar Jedi as she put her lightsabers away in order to pull him behind some cover. After quickly assessing that he was suffering from a broken ankle, she pulled supplies from her utility bags to splint and administer bacta shots. Out of the corner of her eye, Ka'ra noticed Master Plo deflecting blaster shots from their direction, but as an additional precaution Ka'ra positioned her body so that the beskar might shield the patient further. The Jedi were soon nearly overrun and granted the opportunity to surrender, but Master Yoda arrived with the clone troopers just in time to evacuate on gunships. Ka'ra was one of the last to board, as she made sure no wounded Jedi were left behind. A decision that earned a few more blaster shots to the body. Her freshly painted white beskar already had at least four blaster marks.


	2. Wolf Pack

Early into the Clone Wars, Master Plo was given the rank of Jedi General and command of the 104th Battalion. As Ka'ra was waiting for her own orders from the Jedi Council, secretly fearing she’d be assigned to a boring medical center far from the action, Master Plo approached her with a proposition. At the time, Ka'ra was lost in thought as she watched the sunset through a tall Temple window with her T-Visor helmet placed on the bench in front of her. 

“Do you have a moment to spare, Ka'ra?” The distinct Kel Dorin’s voice was hard to mistake.

Ka'ra turned to face him with a smile, “I always have time for my old master.” 

“I was quite impressed at the Battle of Geonosis,” Master Plo replied. 

Involuntarily, Ka'ra glanced down at her helmet, wishing she had it on to hide her reddening cheeks. Compliments always made her feel awkward instead of prideful. 

“You not only fought bravely, but also rescued and treated many wounded even when it put your own safety at risk.” 

“It’s easy to be brave while wearing beskar,” Ka'ra admitted. 

“Still trying to downplay your accomplishments I see. At least I can take comfort in the fact that hubris will never afflict my former apprentice.” Master Plo continued, “Anyways, my point is I would like you to join the Wolfpack squad as team medic.” 

Ka'ra grinned and stood a little straighter, “I’d be honored, General Koon.” 

“Excellent,” Master Plo replied. “You leave with the Wolfpack for Quarmendy tomorrow.” 

Aboard the Triumphant, the flagship for Master Plo’s three Venator-class Star Destroyers, he introduced the new medic and Jedi to the 104th. “Boys this is my former Jedi Padawan and new team medic, Commander Ka’ra Rook. Ka’ra, this is Commander Wolffe, Sergeant Sinker and Boost.

Ka’ra could hear whispers amongst the ranks. “Jedi can be medics? I didn’t know Mandalorians could join the Jedi Order. I thought Knights were always generals? Look at those blaster burns, she ain’t no shiny either.” 

General Koon loudly cleared his throat, dismissed most of the Wolfpack and briefed Ka’ra and the four troopers on the mission. Nexus, the floating city and trading outpost, is currently being controlled by the Separatist Emir Wat Tambor. Although publicly neutral, the Techno Union is certainly using Separatist forces, according to Republic intelligence. The mission is to secure the outpost for the Grand Army of the Republic, or GAR for short. Master Plo made it clear that Commander Wolffe was in charge of the mission, but when it came to health and safety, Commander Rook outranked everyone including himself. Before long, the Star Destroyers came out of hyperspace and approached the rocky wasteland of a planet, Quarmendy. Ka’ra had barely enough time to supply her medic pack before it was time to board the gunship. Being a stealth mission, the gunship wouldn’t get them very close at all to Nexus. The team was responsible for getting themselves the rest of the way to the outpost. When the gunship doors opened it signalled it was time to make the jump. 

“Wait, Sir.” Commander Wolffe grabbed Ka’ra by the arm, “Where’s yours?” He and the other clones were equipped with JT-12 jetpacks. 

“I’m a Jedi,” Ka’ra’s yelled over the wind thinking that was enough of an explanation. 

She proceeded to step backwards out the opening with her dark cloak whipping into the wind, before quickly flipping into the correct orientation. She spotted two droid guards in front of the entrance and planned to take them out as soon as she landed. However, just as she crouched to land softly on the platform, she saw blaster shots accurately eliminate the droids before she got a chance. The troopers landed on the platform behind her, and Wolffe announced to General Koon they had arrived. As soon as they walked through the entrance, all hell broke loose. Droids swarmed them immediately, and although they were able to proceed deeper into the facility without injury, Ka’ra felt a disturbance through the Force. 

“Commander Wolffe, something’s wrong,” Ka’ra impulsively shouted, “we have to leave. Now!” 

“Sir? Are you suggesting we abandon the mission?” He replied less than kindly. 

Then over the outpost speakers, the warning “Evacuate all essential personnel” played on repeat as the halls were lit with red flashing lights. Wolffe didn’t question Ka’ra further and summoned the gunship to rendezvous at the platform as soon as possible. Ka’ra covered them by deflecting blasts with the lightsabers while they retreated the same way they entered. Stopping only to rescue a custodian, who later introduced herself as Orkle.The gunship doors opened and the men jumped in by crossing the distance through the aid of jetbacks with Commander Wolffe holding Orkle. Ka’ra trailing slightly behind when the Nexus suddenly exploded. Using the momentum of the blast and a Force jump, Ka’ra barely slipped into the gunship in time. The doors quickly closed and they returned to Star Destroyer. Orkle gave her sincere thanks, but the Wolfpack collectively hung their heads in shame. Their first mission was a failure. Aboard the Triumphant, the Wolfpack was expecting to be reprimanded after Commander Wolffe finished debriefing General Koon who stood perfectly still with his arms crossed during it. However, he shocked them all by sincerely thanking the team. 

“It appears the Techno Union preferred destroying Nexus than allow it to fall into Republic hands. Yet, you all managed to survive the explosion on a floating city and even rescue a civilian.” He then addressed Ka’ra. “How did you know to turn back?” 

“I’m not entirely sure of that myself, Master Plo,” Ka’ra admitted. “I think I sensed it in the Force,.I had a feeling… I can’t describe it but I knew in my heart we had to go back to the gunship.” 

“Hmmm,” Master Plo thought for a moment. “I think you have the gift of precognition: the ability to use the Force to see into the future. I believe it manifested as analyzing the situation and reading the warning signs faster than one typically could. We are fortunate to have you, Ka’ra.” 

General Koon’s genuine gratitude for the team’s efforts seemed to lift the mood of the team to a degree. He urged the 104th Battalion to not lose heart so early into the war, which would unavoidably have many losses and successes to come. After his speech, Ka’ra returned to her quarters to change out of the blastmarked beskar and into more comfortable, dark gray Jedi robes before heading to the mess hall. There she found a seat with Wolffe, Boost and Sinker. They ate in silence for a while before Sinker tried to lighten the mood with some jokes. 

“I gotta be honest, Commander Ka’ra, when you jumped out backwards outta the ship, I thought for sure you were a goner.” Sinker’s comment made even Wolffe chuckle a little. “What? I couldn’t be the only one who thought she was crazy,” Sinker explained, “We haven’t been around Jedi much yet, so how were we to know you could fly.” 

“I don’t fly,” Ka’ra smiled softly. “I just sort of fall slowly, I guess.” 

“And see our doom in the future apparently.” Boost added, which Ka’ra only shrugged in response. 

“I’ve been meaning to ask,” Wolffe spoke up. “Sir, do you speak Mando’a?” 

Ka’ra found Wolffe’s dark amber gaze so intense, she had to break eye contact every so often as she replied, “Not much. I was taken to the Jedi Temple as a baby, so..” 

“So do you know your name, Ka’ra, means ‘stars’ in Mando’a. In ancient mythology the stars in the night sky were the ruling council of fallen Mandalorian kings.” Wolffe continued as he did his best to maintain eye contact with her. 

“Aw, look what you’ve done, Commander!” Sinker exclaimed. “She’s blushing!” 

Ka’ra did her best to ignore him and asked Wolffe, “How do you know so much Mando’a?” 

“The clone trainers on Kamino are Mandalorian, well mostly Mandalorian, and many made learning about our culture, or Jango Fett’s culture at least, mandatory lessons.” Sinker explained. 

“Are any from Clan Rook of House Kast?” Ka’ra dared to let herself hope. 

Commander Wolffe frowned like it was a silly question, “Yeah, all of the commanders are taught how to use dual DC-17 blasters by Vhonte Tervho who is from Clan Rook. And I think many medic troopers are taught by Kad Rook. Why, any relation to you?” 

Ka’ra felt her eyes immediately well up with tears of joy at his words, and she quickly held her head in her hands in an attempt to hide it. “They’re alive,” she whispered. 

The clones seemed to find her reaction alarming and for a moment silently pondered what to do. Then Wolffe slid down the bench and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. “Sir… are you okay? Did I say something out of turn?” 

Ka’ra sniffled and tried to wipe away her tears before looking back up at him. His golden brown eyes were clearly full of concern although his expression remained neutral. “Vhonte Tervho and Kad Rook are my parents.” She couldn’t help but smile, “I thought they were dead. Hell, the world thinks they’re dead. Every record I checked marked them as MIA since 30 BBY.” 

“Damn!” Sinker seemed to revel in the unexpected drama. Boost just silently continued eating their meal, and looked to Wolffe expectantly, waiting to see if he'd reveal more. 

Wolffe kept a straight face, “So was I not supposed to tell you about them?” 

“No shit, Commander. They’re called the Cuy’val Dar, those who no longer exist, for a reason,” Sinker grinned. 

Ka’ra frowned, “No, tell me more, Commander Wolffe. Why were my parents there? Why does it have to be hidden?” 

Wolffe’s expression turned even more serious, “Apparently, I shouldn’t have even told you that much. Besides, aren’t Jedi not supposed to have attachments?” 

In response, Ka’ra grabbed her tray, dumped the contents into the trash compactor and stormed off. As she walked away, she heard Boost say, “Way to anger the Jedi medic already, Commander.” 

“Yeah, Wolffe,” Sinker added, “didn’t you learn anything on Kamino? A pissed off Mandalorian woman is the most terrifying thing in this galaxy!” 

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Wolffe growled, disposed of his tray, and followed after Ka’ra. He eventually found her in the armory practicing taking blasters apart and then back together again. “This is the last place I thought to find you,” Wolffe admitted.”I thought Jedi never used blasters.” 

“You seem to know a lot about the Jedi, Commander.” Ka’ra remarked without looking up. 

“Is it wrong that I want to know everything I can about those I serve?” 

Ka’ra could sense her anger rising again but she couldn’t suppress it. “Is it wrong for me to want to know what happened to my missing parents? Is it wrong for me to want to know why they went into hiding and essentially faked their deaths?” 

Wolffe shook his head. “No, it’s not wrong,” he quietly agreed. 

“Is.. is it wrong to be jealous?” Ka’ra admitted, surprising herself even with the honesty. 

“Jealous?” 

“How could I not be.” Ka’ra mumbled, unsuccessfully trying to fight her tears from returning. “I was raised by Jedi, the ancient enemies of Mandalore. Meanwhile and the other clones spent more time with my parents and were taught more about my heritage than I ever...” 

“Don’t think of it that way.” Wolffe took a seat next to Ka’ra, gently pulled the blaster from her shaking hands, and hesitantly wiped away her tears from her cheeks with his thumbs while looking into her dark blue eyes. “They were doing their duty, and you were doing yours. I for one know I wouldn’t be the commander I am today without Vhonte’s training, and I know the Wolfpack is lucky to have a Jedi like you here.” 

“Are you just trying to make me feel better?” Ka’ra sniffled. 

Wolffe frowned, “Why would I lie? No, your parents and Clan Rook are legends amongst the clones. You shouldn’t doubt that, or yourself.” 

Ka’ra impulsively embraced Wolffe. He stayed frozen for a moment before hugging her back with an even tighter embrace. “Thank you, Commander Wolffe.” 

“No problem, Sir.” Wolffe then added, “And if ya want, I can teach all the Mando’a and Mandalorian history I can remember.” 

Ka’ra smiled against his chest, “Please just call me, Ka’ra.” 

“Yes, Sir.”


	3. Lost in Space

Ka’ra was in the medical bay, tending to the wounded clone troopers and Hisseenian parliament members when Comet approached her. General Koon already had our next orders: track down the secret Separatist superweapon. The success of the last mission, the Siege of Hisseen, was a much needed moral boost for the Wolfpack, but Ka’ra feared this next one would be a suicide mission. It wasn’t her Force precognitive ability telling her that, just the mystery weapons’ track record of multiple surprise attacks that left behind no survivors. After transporting the Hisseenian representatives to a safer location, and most severely wounded clones to a medical center, the search for the Separatist mystery was under way. And leave it to Commander Wolffe to somehow find an untraceable ship in record time and before its next attack near the Abregado system. 

Commander Wolffe approached General Plo and Commander Ka’ra on the bridge, “The enemy ship had reduced its speed, General.” 

“They must have realized we are tracking them,” Master Plo replied.

“The fleet is holding its position, Sir.” Commander Wolffe observed.

“I think it wise to report our position before we attack.” 

“Skywalker’s fleet is nearby in the Bith system.” 

“Good. Perhaps he can reinforce us.” 

“From what I hear, Skywalker’s always ready for a fight.” 

“So I heard,” Master Plo said before speaking with General Skywalker and Ahsoka over the holocom, but the conversation abruptly ended when the transmission began cutting in and out. “What is wrong with the transmission?” He asked Wolffe who attempted to restore the connection. 

Wolffe shook his head, “There’s too much interference, Sir. We’ve lost ‘em.” 

Suddenly, Ka’ra felt another connection through the Force. Another warning. “Master, we have to get to the escape pods.” 

“What?” 

“Trust me, Master!” Ka’ra pleaded, she felt her chest tighten with anxiety. But when another trooper announced the enemy ship was closing, General Koon ordered the men to prepare for battle. 

“We’re picking up a large energy reading from the target, Sir.” 

Ka’ra begged, “Master, please we need to evacuate- ” 

“Open fire!” General Koon ordered.

Wolffe yelled, “We’re not in range yet, Sir!” 

“Prepare for impact!” Master Plo yelled as a purple energy field pulsed towards the Star Destroyers, which shook the entire starship and effectively rendered it defenseless.

“They’re tearing us apart one by one!” Wolffe exclaimed. 

“Quickly! Into the pods!” General Koon ordered. Both he and Ka’ra waited until every clone had been successfully evacuated before entering one together with Wolffe, Sinker and Boost. Like the Star Destroyer, the escape pod was without power. Ka’ra could sense high levels of anxiety in troopers and in herself, but they worked together to get the power back online. Sinker tried his usual jokes to lift the mood, but in this circumstance it wasn’t as helpful. 

“Do you think we’ve got a chance, General?” 

“I don’t believe in chance, Commander. If we work together, we will survive, and someone will find us. 

“With uh, all due respect, Sir,” Sinker replied, “strategically it doesn’t make any sense for someone to come look for us. If I was in command I’d be hunting that weapon down.”

“I value your life more than finding that weapon.” General Koon stated, “That’s why I apologize for not listening to Ka’ra sooner.” 

“Don’t be,” Ka’ra shook her head, “It wouldn’t have made a difference. You were right to still try and attack the weapon.” 

:Sir, there’s another pod out there!” Boost observed. 

“If we only had power we could contact them,” Wolffe said. 

Boost replied creatively, “How ‘bout we just wave ‘hello’ when the viewpoint comes around.” Master Plo simply used the Force to spin the pod around faster, and to their horror the clones were all dead. The escape pod had been shattered with lifeless clone trooper bodies floating in space or hanging from the broken window. 

“It wouldn't have made a difference,” Ka’ra repeated in a hushed voice. 

General Koon announced, “We are not alone out here….” 

With General Koon seated at the front of the pod, Ka’ra and Wolffe sat together on the bench. Ka’ra’s gaze shifted back and forth between Wolffe’s undeniably handsome face, the view outside the window, and the efforts to restore the power. WIthout much technological skills to speak of, Ka’ra felt pretty useless at the moment. Boost and Sinker argued over how to restore the power when Sinker tempted fate by asking how their situation could get any worse. 

“When you ask for trouble, you should not be surprised when it finds you,” Master Plo sagely answered. 

“I think trouble already found us, Sir,” Sinker replied as Boost successfully restored the power and Wolffe picked up a weak distress signal from another pod and confirmed visual contact. Their efforts were in vain as they were forced to helplessly watch and listen to the droid hunters kill another escape pod full of clones. Sinker then admitted, “Things just got a lot worse… I think they spotted us.” 

Master Plo gave an inspiring command to finally face the enemy head on. Being Kel Dorin he could withstand the pressure for a short while, and Ka’ra, Boost and Sinker placed their pressurized helmets back on and exited the pod. Wolffe was in charge of keeping the signal alive on the inside due to being without his battle gear. They successfully stopped the hunters, and contacted Ahsoka, but not before the escape pod suffered significant damage. Boost, Ka’ra and Sinker hung onto the outside of the pod while General Koon crouched on the top. 

“Well, General, this is another fine mess we’ve got ourselves into,” Sinker observed. 

Master Plo replied, “Your sense of humor is improving.” 

“I don’t mean to say I told you so, but I never believed anyone would come looking for us.” 

“Sergeant, why are you so certain no one is coming?” 

“We’re just clones, Sir. We’re meant to be expendable,” Sinker answered. 

“Not to me.” Master Plo replied sincerely.

“No, you’re right, Master” Ka’ra suddenly spoke up again, “I feel it in the Force, the other Jedi are here, look!” She pointed to the Twilight coming into view, and they were quickly pulled into the safety of the vessel. Master Plo, Sinker, Boost and Ka’ra collapsed off the top of the pod, and Anakin used the Force to break Wolffe out. A medical droid walked in and stated the team was protected to a degree, but required a medical frigate to fully recover. The droid announced he would stabilize them. 

Ka’ra, still coughing, “No, I’ll do it. It’s my responsibility as team medic.” 

In the back, Wolffe noted the power being off, “I need to get to the front.”He was still clutching his side when he walked, half bent over. 

“No, you’re too weak. Whatever it is, they can handle it without us.” Ka’ra caught Wolffe, and directed him back to a resting position, “Your mission now is to recover.” He started to protest but Ka’ra added with a slight smile, admiring his perseverance, “You heard General Koon on day one: when it comes to health and safety, I’m in charge.”

Once they reached General Skywalker’s Star Destroyer, the Resolute, General Koon motioned for Ka’ra to join the meeting with the Jedi Council for a report, but she shook her head. “If you don’t mind, Master, I’d like to continue to see to the men’s injuries personally…” She suddenly felt the full loss of the mission, and said sadly, “They’re all that’s left of the Wolfpack.”

Master Plo simply nodded before following Ahsoka and Anakin to the holocom, and Ka’ra directed the remaining 104th to a medical transport. The troopers openly complained about not wanting to miss out on finishing the Malevolence superweapon themselves. Over the next couple days at the medical base, Ka’ra never left her clones' side. She continued to refuse to let their care be handled by anyone other than herself. Ka’ra even had a cot set up in their wing and took all meals and messages at bedside. To pass the time, Wolffe helped Ka’ra practice her Mando’a, and told her tales of Mandalorian myths and legends of warriors. When they learned that the Kallida Shoals Medical Center was the next target, Ka’ra was thankful it wasn’t their medical base, but the rest of the Wolfpack complained further about not being able to assist Shadow Squadron. 

“I’m sure ya regret it now, Commander Rook,” Sinker said. 

Ka’ra frowned, “Regret what?” 

“Choosing to be stuck here with us, while General Koon and Skywalker have all the fun.” 

“And miss out on your jokes, Sinker?.” She smiled. “No, I’m the team medic, so I’m right where I belong.” 

Wolffe gave her a tender look, “I agree.” 

Later that night, Ka’ra was restless. Everytime she closed her eyes she saw the image of the escape pod being torn apart by the droid hunters in the Abregado system, and her mind filled with their screams as they died. Just like in real life, she felt completely useless in the nightmare. When she woke in a cold sweat and tried to fall back asleep, that nightmare was replaced with a usual one: the one where her parents are helpless as the Jedi took an infant Ka’ra away from Mandalore. Looking at Wolffe’s bed, which was directly adjacent to her’s in the corner, Ka’ra noticed he was absent. Ka’ra grabbed her cloak and walked to the designated smoking area of the medical frigate. When the doors slid open, Ka’ra saw Wolffe leaning against the wall with his back turned to her, facing the window looking out into deep space while he smoked tabac. 

“You know smoking will only delay your recovery,” Ka’ra said. 

Wolffe chuckled, “Yeah, you’re one to talk.” He pressed a cigarra to her lips and lit it for her out instinctively. As a medic, Ka’ra knew smoking was a nasty habit, but it was one she and Wolffe picked up after the loss of most of the 104th in the Abregado system. Her smoke breaks with Wolffe was like a meditation in a way, and it was one of the only ways she kept her horrific visions at bay “Couldn’t sleep again,” Wolffe guessed.

Ka’ra shook her head as she inhaled the nicotine. “I had the dreams again,” she explained as she exhaled a cloud of smoke. “What fucks me up the most is that there’ll be no parade, no memorial for our men. No one will remember them.” 

“That’s not true, Ka’ra.” Wolffe still called her ‘sir’ or ‘commander’ in public, but Ka’ra considered it a small victory to convince him to drop the honorifics in private. “Ni su’cuyi, gar kyr’adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum. It’s the Mandalorian daily remembrance for those who have passed on; meaning, ‘I’m still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal.’ Also, I’ve already talked to General Koon about changing the 104th Battalion’s colors to gray.” 

“Mourning a lost one,” Ka’ra remembered from Wolffe’s Mandalorian lessons. 

Wolffe gave a small smile, “So you do listen to me.” 

“Hey,” Ka’ra elbowed him in the ribs with a laugh, “I always listen.” Wolffe didn’t reply, and instead just took another puff of his cigarra while giving her a look that said ‘yeah, sure.’ Ka’ra then noticed a music player with headphones on the bench. “But what are you listening to?” She pointed to the player. 

Wolffe, always the man of action instead of words, put the headphones over Ka’ra as an answer and selected the song Slow Dive by CLAVVS. While the song played, Wolffe’s golden brown eyes never left Ka’ra’s deep blue. Maybe it was wishful thinking, or Ka’ra was really sensing Wolffe’s intentions through the Force, but either way Ka’ra couldn’t help but feel Wolffe picked that song for a reason. Ka’ra was sure she was right when she heard the chorus lyrics, “Forget the life we lived. It’s all up in the air now, oh. Abandon all of it, like you don’t even care now, no. You’re moving in the dark, your hands are on my neck, then down across my heart…. Don’t you feel it too? You feel it too, I know you do.” 

Acting on her own feelings and what she suspected for Wolffe’s, she extinguished her tabac and pulled him in for a kiss. At first he froze, and Ka’ra feared she’d made a mistake, but then Wolffe put out his cigarra and leaned into the kiss. Wolffe held her face with both hands as the song continued to play. His kisses were rough and hurried, as if he feared he’d never get this chance again, and kissing got progressively more intense. When Wolffe bit Ka’ra lower lip he used her shocked gasp as entry for his tongue to explore hers. A voice in the back of Ka’ra’s head told her this attachment was forbidden, but the voice got quieter as the warm feeling in her core grew until the voice disappeared all together. Wolffe advanced his kisses down her jawline, then her neck, and all Ka’ra could do was gasp and clutch on to his shoulders. Suddenly, Wolffe pulled back and took the headphones off of her, “Are you sure you want to do this?” 

“More than anything,” Ka’ra said earnestly and started to rapidly pull off her loungewear. Wolffe grinned, the biggest smile she’s seen him express yet, and took off his blacks.


End file.
